


Good Things Are Worth Waiting For

by goldenzingy46



Series: Tomarry Works [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Age Changes, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, So here we are, Soft Tom Riddle, i watched the bullet necklace episode of lucifer and have Soft Vibes, who am i and what did i do with me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:07:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26939377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenzingy46/pseuds/goldenzingy46
Summary: Harry is angry at Tom. Tom has an apology to give.+ bonus: proposal!
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle
Series: Tomarry Works [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2091711
Comments: 34
Kudos: 164





	Good Things Are Worth Waiting For

Tom sat on the edge of Harry’s bed, warm brown eyes like melting chocolate and holding a sort of melancholy acceptance Harry hated to see on his Tom’s face, no matter how pushy he had been lately.

“Harry,” he began, haltingly. Tom was fidgeting and altogether nervous, and it was not a look Harry had seen on him before. “I believe I owe you an apology.”

He chewed his lip. “I…”

Harry almost reached out to him, but a stinging reminder of how callous, how _possessive_ Tom had been, recently, took up a thorny residence in his ribcage and he withdrew.

Tom flinched as though he’d been slapped.

_Good._

“I’m sorry I keep pushing you towards marriage. I know you don’t want to – that’s clear enough – and it’s clear I’m not worthy for you. For that, I’m sorry.”

The silence that hung between them was deafening.

“And I hope whoever you end up with treats you well. It’s what you deserve.” Tom stepped back, head bowed, and Harry’s heart shattered.

“Tom, it’s not you,” he said. “We’re nineteen, and right out of school. I’m simply not ready to get married.”

Tom looked crushed but nodded anyway.

“For what it’s worth, I think I’d like to get married someday.”

“ _Really?_ ”

There was so much hope in Tom’s tone that Harry couldn’t help but smile.

“Of course, Tomcat, I love you more than anything else in the entire world.”

“I love you too, my Harry.” he whispered, eyes shining like stars.

Harry grinned, saying, “Now come here, you idiot,” and pulling him into a hug. “Did you really think I wanted you gone just because I wouldn’t get married?”

“Well- maybe.”

Harry mock groaned. “I’m in love with an imbecile.”

“Hey!”

***

They’d celebrated Harry’s 27th birthday at a high-end restaurant in Paris.

It held the elegant, chic vibes Harry expected of Tom, despite the lower-class background and trashy high school, and it had gone brilliantly, leaving the pair of them standing on the balcony with a glass of red for both of them.

“Thank you, Tom,” Harry said, “Today was brilliant.”

Tom offered him a soft smile. “You told me something, once, that meant a lot to me.”

“I should hope quite a few things I’ve said meant a lot to you,” he joked.

“I have another gift for you,” Tom said, and Harry rose an eyebrow.

“Oh?”

Tom had a look on him that Harry recognised, but didn’t see often. Worry.

“You’re welcome to say no, if you want,” he whispered, dropping onto one knee. “Harry, the love of my life, I’ve learned that the good things – and people – are worth waiting for. Will you marry me, and pledge your heart to an eternity alongside mine?”

Harry tilted Tom’s chin up towards him. “Always,” he said, and kissed him.

Somewhere below them, a cork on a champagne bottle popped, and raucous laughter echoed up from below, but that didn’t matter because they were Harry and Tom with nothing in between them, and a whole new chapter of their life had opened up.

The future was bright, and so were they.

**Author's Note:**

> You could... poke your head into my [Discord server](https://discord.gg/37bXdGW)? I don't bite (much)!
> 
> Alternately, you could pop into my mess of a Tumblr [here](https://goldenzingy46.tumblr.com/), or my writing Tumblr [here](https://goldenzingy46butwriteblr.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Comments and kudos sustain me :)
> 
> [for bribe related reasons, i ask you to go and have a look at user [alfisha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alfisha)'s fics, and they are a damn good writer]


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